yen

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈyen 

plural yen

: the basic monetary unit of Japan see Money Table

yen

2 of 3

noun (2)

: a strong desire or propensity

a yen for the sea

also : urge, craving

a yen for ice cream

yen

3 of 3

verb

yenned; yenning

intransitive verb

: to have an intense desire : long

Did you know?

Although yen suggests no more than a strong desire these days (as in "a yen for a beach vacation"), at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble: the first meaning of yen was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from Cantonese yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning "opium," and yáhn, "craving." In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen.

Synonyms of yen

Noun (2)

• craving
• desire
• thirst
• longing
• urge
• appetite
• hunger

Verb

• crave
• pine (for)
• die (for)
• hunger (for)
• long (for)
• thirst (for)
• repine (for)
• wish (for)
• want
• itch (for)
• salivate (for)
• sigh (for)
• lust (for or after)
• jones (for)
• yearn (for)
• ache (for)
• hanker (for or after)

Examples of yen in a Sentence

Noun (2)

I have a strange yen to take the day off from work

Verb

what car lover doesn't yen for a new car at the start of every model year

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The kidnappers demanded one billion yen in cash and 100 kilograms of gold bullion. —Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 23 Nov. 2025

That's all well and good when the cost to borrow yen is low. —Matthew J. Belvedere,paulina Likos,zev Fima,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2025

Amid that discontent, a mysterious flier goes out around the country, calling former samurai to a temple to learn about how to win 100,000 yen. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025

The last surviving samurai wins 100 billion yen. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Japanese en

Noun (2)

obsolete English argot yen-yen craving for opium, from Chin (Guangdong) yīn-yáhn, from yīn opium + yáhn craving

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1874, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1906, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1919, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing yen

• the yen
• yen-shee

Rhymes for yen

• ben
• bren
• chen
• den
• en
• gen
• glen
• hen
• jen
• ken
• men
• pen

Kids Definition

yen

1 of 2 noun

ˈyen 

plural yen

1

: the basic unit of money of Japan

2

: a coin worth one yen

yen

2 of 2 noun

: an intense desire : longing